Spotlighting Pan-African Poetry

Biography

Trigger Happy

Trigger Happy

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Need I go trigger happy
And rid me of this monster I call husband

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Susie Berya

Featured Poem:

What is rape?

Featured Poem:

What is rape?

Do I have to be black and blue?
Would that make it more true?
Beat up, bruised up
Clots, streaks, scarred on my lap
On my skin fingerprints from a slap

Must I have fallen for some elaborate trap?
For me, he or she specifically set up

Must it be in some dark alley
Or it refuted verbally
Brutally forced on some stone cold ground
Hands on my neck chocking of all sound

Has it to be accompanied with physical pain
Or some soul wrenching disdain
Need I wince when I move cause I’m all sore
Must it be pictured as gore

Now I must not know what rape is
For when mine was not painful
Not violent far less cruel
Withdrawn not, far from broken
On my face no shame or sign of depression
I was told off, surely you must be mistaken

Mistaken?
If only the wall of my room for me they would have spoken

So I ask
Rape
What is rape

Is there some condition
A book full of instructions
When not met one oughta not mention
Far from it dare not cry rape

Rape
What is rape

Do I have to be black and blue?
Would that make it more true?
Beat up, bruised up
Clots, streaks, scarred on my lap
On my skin fingerprints from a slap

Must I have fallen for some elaborate trap?
For me, he or she specifically set up

Must it be in some dark alley
Or it refuted verbally
Brutally forced on some stone cold ground
Hands on my neck chocking of all sound

Has it to be accompanied with physical pain
Or some soul wrenching disdain
Need I wince when I move cause I’m all sore
Must it be pictured as gore

Now I must not know what rape is
For when mine was not painful
Not violent far less cruel
Withdrawn not, far from broken
On my face no shame or sign of depression
I was told off, surely you must be mistaken

Mistaken?
If only the wall of my room for me they would have spoken

So I ask
Rape
What is rape

Is there some condition
A book full of instructions
When not met one oughta not mention
Far from it dare not cry rape

How does this featured poem make you feel?

Amazement(4)

Pride(0)

Optimism(0)

Anger(1)

Delight(0)

Inspiration(0)

Reflection(3)

Captivation(0)

Peace(2)

Amusement(2)

Sorrow(2)

Vigour(2)

Hope(0)

Sadness(1)

Fear(2)

Jubilation(0)

Comments

What is Rape!? I too long for the reason that made him lend his evil eyes on her thighs, what made me keep quite for too long while she was hurting inside out. what made him force himself to her when she cried refusing to be part of this forceful sexual intercourse!? maybe I am to blame, because i too have once craved for her innocent yet attractive body and eyes, eyes which i now see tears and pain hidden in her heart. Susie Berya you have tared the wound that most of us prefare that it should stay hidden in these red boundages.

Biography

Susie Berya is a Tanzanian living in Dar es Salaam. She is a creative writer, and a feminist with a passion for all forms of art. She’s a 24 years old currently studying for her Bachelor’s degree in Economics of Development and working on her first anthology. She writes contemporary poetry usually influenced by her daily experiences and social issues.

Susie Berya

Biography

Susie Berya is a Tanzanian living in Dar es Salaam. She is a creative writer, and a feminist with a passion for all forms of art. She’s a 24 years old currently studying for her Bachelor’s degree in Economics of Development and working on her first anthology. She writes contemporary poetry usually influenced by her daily experiences and social issues.

Trigger Happy

Trigger Happy

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Need I go trigger happy
And rid me of this monster I call husband

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Featured Poem:

What is rape?

Featured Poem:

What is rape?

Do I have to be black and blue?
Would that make it more true?
Beat up, bruised up
Clots, streaks, scarred on my lap
On my skin fingerprints from a slap

Must I have fallen for some elaborate trap?
For me, he or she specifically set up

Must it be in some dark alley
Or it refuted verbally
Brutally forced on some stone cold ground
Hands on my neck chocking of all sound

Has it to be accompanied with physical pain
Or some soul wrenching disdain
Need I wince when I move cause I’m all sore
Must it be pictured as gore

Now I must not know what rape is
For when mine was not painful
Not violent far less cruel
Withdrawn not, far from broken
On my face no shame or sign of depression
I was told off, surely you must be mistaken

Mistaken?
If only the wall of my room for me they would have spoken

So I ask
Rape
What is rape

Is there some condition
A book full of instructions
When not met one oughta not mention
Far from it dare not cry rape

Rape
What is rape

Do I have to be black and blue?
Would that make it more true?
Beat up, bruised up
Clots, streaks, scarred on my lap
On my skin fingerprints from a slap

Must I have fallen for some elaborate trap?
For me, he or she specifically set up

Must it be in some dark alley
Or it refuted verbally
Brutally forced on some stone cold ground
Hands on my neck chocking of all sound

Has it to be accompanied with physical pain
Or some soul wrenching disdain
Need I wince when I move cause I’m all sore
Must it be pictured as gore

Now I must not know what rape is
For when mine was not painful
Not violent far less cruel
Withdrawn not, far from broken
On my face no shame or sign of depression
I was told off, surely you must be mistaken

Mistaken?
If only the wall of my room for me they would have spoken

So I ask
Rape
What is rape

Is there some condition
A book full of instructions
When not met one oughta not mention
Far from it dare not cry rape

Trigger Happy

Trigger Happy

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Need I go trigger happy
And rid me of this monster I call husband

When their pockets seem more valuable
And their bellies more important
When my life isn’t worth a damn
To get these men to enforce the law

When they say it takes two to make a fight
And gracefully decline to interfere
The man is the head of the house
By now this woman should have learnt

When the hand of law seems to be short
And he far from its reach
When justice seems unattainable
Should I opt for violence to curb his own

When I can’t afford my safety
Yet he can buy his freedom
Come back home to be his mean self
Should I simply lay there and welcome death

Or should I opt for a baton or gun
Break a bone or two preferably his hand
Or simply go all trigger happy
Rid me of this monster I call a husband

My husband is the man I support
On my knees him I pray for
Out there for him always I rally
But behind closed doors me his punching bag
When my neighbours’ ears to my screams are deaf
And to family my wounds are invisible
When the law on my side it’s not
Should I take the law on my own hands?

Need I go trigger happy
And rid me of this monster I call husband

Comments

What is Rape!? I too long for the reason that made him lend his evil eyes on her thighs, what made me keep quite for too long while she was hurting inside out. what made him force himself to her when she cried refusing to be part of this forceful sexual intercourse!? maybe I am to blame, because i too have once craved for her innocent yet attractive body and eyes, eyes which i now see tears and pain hidden in her heart. Susie Berya you have tared the wound that most of us prefare that it should stay hidden in these red boundages.